In pictures: The ‘philatelic afterlife’ of Dr BR Ambedkar

An ongoing exhibition showcases Dr B R Ambedkar's philatelic afterlife -- from 1966-2022; 1966 Ambedkar Stamp (Courtesy: IIC)

Titled Baba Saheb: An Extraordinary Philatelic Journey (1966-2022), the show, on till June 21, 2022 at Art Gallery, Kamaladevi Complex, India International Center, New Delhi documents the journey of the first Dalit personality from being honoured with a commemorative postage stamp to becoming a key philatelic icon in the country; 1991 Ambedkar FDC (Courtesy: IIC)

The exhibition uses postage stamps, postal information brochures, first day covers, postal calendars, inland letter cards and other postal materials to throw fresh light on the shifting evolution of the official and popular imaginations of Ambedkar, fondly called Baba Saheb; 1991 Ambedkar Stamp (Courtesy: IIC)

The philatelic material is organised into three broad periods. The first period begins with the issue of a commemorative stamp on Ambedkar in 1966 and ends with another commemorative stamp issued in 1991 after he was posthumously conferred with the Bharat Ratna. The material of this period is limited to commemorative releases that portray him as a standalone icon. The second period (1992 - 2010) is when Ambedkar was included in the definitive series which marks his entry into the philatelic pantheon hitherto restricted to Gandhi and Nehru. Also, in this period Ambedkar is no longer restricted to commemoratives and he figures on a very wide variety of philatelic material, mentions the press statement (Courtesy: IIC)

In the third period (2012-22), postage stamps and special covers celebrate him as a pan Indian leader by representing the different stages of his life and tracing his journey across the country; 2013 Chaitya Bhoomi Stamp (Courtesy: IIC)

The exhibition has been curated by Vikas Kumar, who teaches economics at Azim Premji University (Courtesy: IIC)

Definitive Ambedkar 2 Rupees (Courtesy: IIC)